I just stumbled across this video on Buddy Heaters.ARE BUDDY HEATERS SAFE IN AN RV? WE ASKED A FIREFIGHTERI agree with the two people in the video - me personally, I won't use one. I'm the ultra paranoid type when it comes to life safety - what "could" happen? I call it Risk Mitigation.Another reason I wouldn't buy one is because it's one more piece of equipment to deal with.Here's my method of heating the RV when cold weather camping while boondocking / remote camping:Lock my EU2000i to a tree at the end of a 50 foot extension cord and run a small space heater that has three wattage settings on the lowest setting (600 watts). If I fill the generator with gas before I go to bed, it will run all night.Doing this burns about 1 gallon of gas, and likely ends up being more economical than running a Buddy heater all night.The generator scenario won't work in a campground though due to quiet hours, etc.Well, you are probably asking yourself "Why not just run the furnace?"People look for alternate methods of heating for several reasons:Cost reduction (RV Propane furnace consume a lot of propane)Noise Reduction (RV Furnaces make a lot of noise - it wakes me up multiple times at night in my very small RV, which is a truck camper)Conserving battery power. (RV furnaces use a lot of battery power)In below freezing temps, running the furnace some is going to be a must if your RV has heated underbelly - this keeps the water lines from freezing, etc.Anyway, food for thought.

Well there is that recent report of the urban outdoorsman killing himself accidently with a Mr Heater. But it was the parabolic type, which is marked for outside use only, he disabled all the safety features, turned it face up and was cooking on it. Result: lots of Carbon Monoxide. And one bright red urban outsdoorsman.I know some people use the blue flame type heaters in their RV and do it safely. They claim major propane savings since RV furnaces blow a lot of expensive hot air out of the RV and suck in lots of cold air for the furnace combustion.We haven't camped in a cold climate enough to worry about it tho.

I'm not into conservation.. I like 72° and the only way to get that is with my furnace.

I get to 72 f using electric heat.

agesilaus wrote:They claim major propane savings since RV furnaces blow a lot of expensive hot air out of the RV and suck in lots of cold air for the furnace combustion.We haven't camped in a cold climate enough to worry about it tho.The combustion chamber is located such that the cold air input does not enter the RV, neither does the humid air created as a result of burning propane. If you use one of the buddy heaters in an RV might just as well use the propane oven to heat with. Just be prepared to get things incredibly damp, or watch the heat go out a window that needs to be open to reduce humidity. My opinion...

wildtoad wrote:The combustion chamber is located such that the cold air input does not enter the RV, neither does the humid air created as a result of burning propane.x2. They're designed that way for a reason.

Very good video on Buddy Heaters | Good Sam Community

CFerguson
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2019
I keep the smaller LB as an emergency backup. Theyre completely safe if you are smart enough to know what you are doing.
midnightsadie
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2019
nice set up thanks question are the camco olimpyion heaters any safer?
deltabravo
Nomad
Dec 23, 2019
Lots of good replies. :-)
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2019
Buddy heater isn't safe enough for me and DW. I agree with DeltaBravo.
TenOC
Nomad
Dec 23, 2019
I have a large "Big Buddy" heater. For the last 10 years when I park for the winter in TN I have use it as the primary heat source.

1. I have 2 CO detectors in the TT. Neither have ever gone off.

2. I store a 30lb propane tank outside the TT and run the hose threw the outdoor shower door to the inside of the TT for the Big Buddy.

3. One minor problem even on low heat mode often the heater over heats the TT. So I need to keep turning it off and on.

4. The heater does generate moisture so I have a dehumidifier in the shower to lower the humidity. But I do not have problem with dry air in the winter time.
2oldman
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2019
wildtoad wrote:
The combustion chamber is located such that the cold air input does not enter the RV, neither does the humid air created as a result of burning propane.
x2. They're designed that way for a reason.
wildtoad
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2019
agesilaus wrote:

They claim major propane savings since RV furnaces blow a lot of expensive hot air out of the RV and suck in lots of cold air for the furnace combustion.

We haven't camped in a cold climate enough to worry about it tho.

The combustion chamber is located such that the cold air input does not enter the RV, neither does the humid air created as a result of burning propane. If you use one of the buddy heaters in an RV might just as well use the propane oven to heat with. Just be prepared to get things incredibly damp, or watch the heat go out a window that needs to be open to reduce humidity. My opinion...
pianotuna
Nomad III
Dec 23, 2019
I get to 72 f using electric heat.
2oldman
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2019
I'm not into conservation.. I like 72° and the only way to get that is with my furnace.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Dec 23, 2019
Well there is that recent report of the urban outdoorsman killing himself accidently with a Mr Heater. But it was the parabolic type, which is marked for outside use only, he disabled all the safety features, turned it face up and was cooking on it. Result: lots of Carbon Monoxide. And one bright red urban outsdoorsman.

I know some people use the blue flame type heaters in their RV and do it safely. They claim major propane savings since RV furnaces blow a lot of expensive hot air out of the RV and suck in lots of cold air for the furnace combustion.

We haven't camped in a cold climate enough to worry about it tho.

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